A Day Of Thanks
by LilyGhost
Summary: It's Stephanie and Ranger's first Thanksgiving together and Stephanie decides, with Ella's help, to do something special for the Rangeman men to celebrate it.


**Once again, the story that I intended to be short and sweet has turned out three times longer than I'd planned. So I figured I'd post it a few days early to, hopefully, get everyone in the holiday spirit. And also because it may take everyone until Thanksgiving Day to finish reading it. All characters belong to Janet. The mistakes are mine.**

"Ranger?" I said, walking into his office on the fifth floor."Ella and I have been talking ..."

"Always dangerous," Ranger said, giving me a hint of a smile.

I walked farther into the room, closing the door behind me not wanting the guys to overhear what I wanted to discuss with Ranger.

"No listen," I said, sitting on the edge of Ranger's desk."Ella and I came up with a good idea for Thanksgiving."

"I thought we were going to your parents' house for Thanksgiving."

"We are," I said."But we're having the turkey at one o'clock, so we should be back here by five."

"And?"

"And," I said,"we decided that the guys who have to work here on Thanksgiving should have a delicious meal, too, even if they're stuck here watching monitors all night. So Ella and I wanted to know if it's okay to give them one."

"You're going to cook dinner for my men?" Ranger asked me."They may appreciate the sentiment behind it, Babe, but not enough to eat your cooking."

"I'll have you know that Hal ate a sandwich that I'd made special just for him last week," I told Ranger.

"Putting peanut butter, olives, and potato chips on bread doesn't equal _cooking, _Steph. There needs to be some sort of heat involved."

"Are you done giving me a hard time?"

"Yes."

"Ella is going to take care of the food," I said. I didn't want the guys rushed to the emergency room, either."I'm going to be in charge of the non-food related chores: dishes, decorations, and setting up one of the conference rooms as a sort of dining area. If I can clear it with the boss."

"It's fine with me, Babe," Ranger said."But you're going to have to promise to include something other than dessert."

"I told you, _Ella_ was cooking. She wouldn't prepare an all dessert feast no matter how much I begged."

Ranger gave me a real smile this time, and I was momentarily distracted from my plan. I was even more so when Ranger wrapped his hand around my wrist and pulled me off the desk and into his lap.

"The guys are lucky to have someone like you as a friend," Ranger said.

"I think they've earned more than just a dinner after putting up with me and all the craziness that they get sucked into."

"You're not as much trouble as you think you are, Babe," Ranger said."You're like a one woman training exercise for the men who work with you. They know they have to be aware of everyone, and everything, around them when they're with you. Their reflexes need to be quick in order to respond to anything from an exploding vehicle to a bullet. They also learn how to interact with people who will never know what it's like to need a bodyguard. And they have to watch their mouths at all times, so my fist doesn't end up shutting them."

"And you call that no trouble?" I asked him.

"No, Babe," Ranger said to me."Around here we call that a Wednesday. My men should be thanking you for making them better at their jobs. The military could use you as a training tool."

"Thanks a lot."

"If you really want to go through with this dinner," Ranger said,"how are you planning on getting everything done and still be at your parents' house on time?"

"You're not the only one with special powers," I told him.

"You're sounding mysterious, Babe."

"Not really." Unless Ella's energy could be called a power. Which sometimes I thought it should."Well, I'd better get started. I have a lot to do and only two days to do it in."

"Anything I can do to help?" Ranger asked.

"Nope. You already agreed to let us do this and that's all I needed." I wrapped my arms around Ranger's neck and kissed the corner of his mouth."This is going to be great," I said, sliding off his lap."I'm going to head out. I'll see you tonight."

The wind was cold, and the sun was barely shining when I stepped out of the elevator into the garage. And you could tell that we'd be having snow early this year. The briskness of fall was long gone and winter was moving in, like it or not. Great. The traffic on Hamilton was bad enough_ now_. Add in plow trucks and piles of gray snow and you've got a driver's nightmare on your hands. Not to mention, as soon as the jack o' lanterns were thrown out, everyone with a pulse was ready to kick off their holiday shopping, which only added to the crazy driving and sometimes less-than-friendly moods of the people you encountered. I couldn't complain, though, since I was one of those people who did all my shopping at the last minute and didn't appreciate people getting in my way when time was running out.

I spent the remainder of the afternoon in and out of different stores, trying to find everything I needed in the few hours before dark. Ranger wouldn't care what I bought. Or even if I used his card to get it, but I wasn't about to. This was_ my _gift to Ranger's men. Ella was shouldering the majority of the workload by handling all the food, but I wanted to at least make the guys feel less like they were stuck at work. I was going to attempt to fix up the conference room in a way that would remind them of home. I bought stuff to make a centerpiece for the table, got dishes to offset the standard ones that Rangeman uses, and picked out a few different tablecloths so I'd have options. My major contribution to this dinner was getting the go ahead from Ranger and making sure the guys have a good time during it. Since Ranger gave his permission easily, I could focus the rest of my time on making the guys happy.

I got everything I thought I would need and drove back to Rangeman. With Ranger's okay, I had the bags put in the conference room, courtesy of Vince, stopped on six to talk to Ella, and was back in Ranger's apartment by the time he came in.

"You're back earlier than I expected," Ranger said."I thought we'd be waiting dinner."

"Nope," I said to him."I hauled ass and got everything done. So now we can have the evening free."

"Free for what?" Ranger asked.

"Dinner?" I said.

"And after dinner?"

"I don't know. Did you have something in mind?" I asked him.

"Not some_thing_, Babe," Ranger said."Some_one_."

"Is that someone me?"

"Has been since I met you, Steph."

He didn't even blink as I searched his face for any hint that he was joking."You mean that, don't you?"

"Yes," he said."When you walked into that diner, desperate and a little crazy, I knew you were going be a part of my life from that moment on."

"All that because I gave you attitude?"

I remembered that day, how my shoes pinched my feet, how my car was seconds away from dying, and how mad I was at not being good at the job I'd fallen into. Not much had changed, I thought. Except I had better shoes now. And Morelli and I were on better terms. Joe and I weren't together then. And we won't ever be together again, but now we were able to talk to each other without any sexual tension or hostility entering into the conversation. It took close to thirty years to accomplish, but my life was much easier because of it.

Ranger hadn't changed all that much, either. He was still slightly scary. His body was still deadly, both in build and sexiness. And he was still amused by me. But the big difference was that I could now call that badass from the diner ... mine. And if Ranger wanted to, he could call that bounty hunter wannabe ... his.

"I want to, Babe," Ranger said, reading what was going through my mind."And I have. Long before it became a reality."

"I wish I knew this side of you existed back then," I said to him, thinking of the time I wasted trying to convince myself that I wanted something I didn't.

"I didn't know it existed until I let you into my life," Ranger said. Serious."But now that I know it_ does _exist, I don't feel the need to hide it."

"Good. Because I don't want you to," I said to him."And you know what? I'm suddenly in the mood for something other than dinner."

Ranger smiled."And am I that something?" Ranger asked, pulling me against the body that I'd fantasized about even before knowing what it could do to me.

"No," I said, sliding my arms around his neck."You're that _someone_," I said, using the same words he used on me.

Dinner could wait, but Ranger and I weren't about to.

Thanksgiving day started out cloudy and steadily turned to a cold drizzle, but I wasn't going to let the crappy weather ruin my mood. I was really looking forward to today. Not only because of the dinner for the men, but this was also the first time Ranger would be sharing Thanksgiving with me and my family. Surprisingly, my mother was more than a little nervous about Ranger coming over. Joe was_ 'safe_.' She'd known Morelli since he was a child. Not entirely trusting him the years following the garage incident. But Morelli had steadily gained her trust as she watched him finally grow up, and focus his attention on becoming a good cop instead of just staying the Burg's resident bad boy. And it helped to know that if Joe did anything she didn't approve of, she could always call up his mother and tattle on him or tell his grandmother what he'd done when she bumped into her at Giovichinni's.

Ranger was _new_. And not someone she could guilt, manipulate, or badger. I wasn't really worried about how dinner would go, because I knew that Burg manners would require her to be on her best behavior. And I felt that once she got over her fear of Ranger, his rumored reputation, and what she thought she knew about him, she'd be more comfortable around him. I didn't want her _too_ comfortable, though. My mother calling up Ranger anytime she wanted wasn't something that I could let happen. Both for Ranger's sake. And my own. But I really didn't want her thinking that Ranger was seconds away from whipping out a gun in the middle of dinner and threatening to shoot someone. My mother had her hands full worrying about my Grandma Mazur doing just that.

I turned to the man lying next to me, and gently traced the shape of his lips. They immediately curved up at my touch.

"Good morning," I said to him.

"Every morning I wake up like this is a_ good morning_," he said to me, his voice sounding incredibly sexy.

Now_ I _was smiling. I closed the distance between us and kissed him. One beefy arm came up around my shoulders and the other curled around my waist, pulling me on top of him. Sure, today was going to be busy, but there was _always_ time to show Ranger just how much I love him.

An hour later, I was blow-drying my hair and watching Ranger get dressed close by. Even when he wasn't doing anything my mouth still went dry, and my pulse went into overdrive.

"If you want to accomplish everything you have planned for today, Babe," Ranger said,"you need to stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you want _me_ for dinner instead of the turkey."

Damn, you'd think I'd remember that Ranger had eyes on the back of his head. And apparently on his ass, too, since that's where I was looking.

"It's_ your _fault," I told him."You're the one who decided to get dressed ten feet away from me."

"You don't have to look, Babe."

True, but I wasn't dead or stupid. And if there was a chance to see Ranger naked, I was sure as hell going to take it.

"I feel the same way about you, Steph."

See Stephanie, I said to myself, sometimes ESP wasn't annoying.

"Sometimes, Babe?"

"Most of the time it is, though," I said, brushing by him on my way back to the bedroom.

"What time do you want to leave?" Ranger asked, following me.

"I want to check in with Ella to see if she needs any help, and then start setting things up before I have to change. So I'm guessing around twelve. Are you going downstairs?" I asked him

"Yes."

"But today's a holiday."

"And?"

"And ... you're supposed to relax and do nothing today," I told him."Not spend it working."

"Babe," Ranger said,"I have to go to your parents' house and spend hours dodging your grandmother's hands, pretending that your sister isn't checking me out, and listening to Albert's rambling. Relaxing isn't an option."

My heart sank. I really wanted to be with him today.

"Ranger, you know you don't have to come with me if you really don't want to."

He stepped in close to me and brushed a curl back from my face, his fingertips lingering on my skin.

"I'm going with you today, Steph, because I want to spend the day with you," Ranger said, quietly."And if you want to have dinner at your parents' house, then that's where we're going."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Aren't I always?"

"Uh-huh, but my family is always the exception."

"I'd put up with a lot more than your family just to be with you, Babe."

"You already have," I told him.

"So today will be easy," Ranger said."Just not relaxing. The relaxation part of the day will come at the end of it."

"Okay, then. I'm going to check in with Ella to see if she needs anything."

"No need, Babe," Ranger said."I already talked to her. She said to let you know that she's all set, and that she started spoiling the men early."

That sounding promising."Spoiling the men, how?"

"Breakfast. And I assumed that you'd want to check it out, so I told her not to make breakfast for us."

That was all I needed to hear."What are we waiting for?" I asked Ranger, grabbing his hand and tugging him towards the door.

I was sure that the elevator was going slower than usual this morning. When we finally stepped off of it, we were just in time to almost get run over by Rangemen on their way to the kitchen. Only Ranger's arm around my waist, pulling me out of the way, saved me from being trampled.

"Jeez," I said to Ranger,"I thought_ I _was bad, but they got me beat by a mile."

"Ella has only done this once before," Ranger told me."The men still talk about it to this day."

"Boy," I said,"you're mean. You could have at least given them a doughnut or Tastykake once in a while. Or, at the very least, told me about it and I would have helped them out."

"Not a chance, Babe," Ranger said."If you work here, you follow my rules. And the rule is they only get healthy food while they're in the building."

"It's a good thing I don't work here," I said to him.

"You do work here, but I've bent a few rules for you."

More like he threw the rule book out the window when it came to me.

"Okay," I said."I think it's safe to move. Let's go see what Ella has done now. When she said that she was staying here this year instead of visiting her sister, I didn't intend for her to spend the whole time slaving away in the kitchen."

"This is what makes Ella happy," Ranger said, as we walked to the control room kitchen."Taking care of people and keeping them fed."

"Sounds like my mother, minus the judgement and guilt."

We stepped into the kitchen and looked at the spread Ella had laid out. Ranger and I had two very different reactions. I might have had an orgasm. While Ranger probably would have had a heart attack if his heart was dumb enough to give him trouble.

Where the normal oatmeal, morning glory muffins, and scrambled egg-whites stood, there now was acres of french toast, egg and bacon (yes bacon!) casserole, what looked like a spinach and cheese bread pudding type of thing, cinnamon rolls complete with icing, homemade breakfast sandwiches made with even more bacon and, I bet, real eggs and cheese, and chocolate chip muffins.

"Pinch me," I said to Ranger in an awe inspired whisper."I must be dreaming."

"Babe," Ranger whispered back,"the look on your face is the same one you had last night when I ..."

The thought of Ranger finishing that sentence snapped me out of it.

"Okay, I'm back," I said to him."But even you have to be impressed by Ella's magic."

"I think she's taking advantage of my good mood," Ranger said.

"Striking while the iron is hot?"

"Something like that."

My eyes narrowed when I saw Hal and Tank head to the tray that contained what looked to be stuffed french toast.

"Come on," I said, grabbing Ranger's hand again."If Tank and Hal get to the food before I do, there won't be anything left for us normal-sized people."

"Babe, I'm not eating that," Ranger said, looking at Ella's offering with the same amount of loathing as I had for the bathroom in my apartment.

"I know," I said to him."Last time I checked, you weren't normal-sized anywhere. But I need you to help me get my share of the good stuff. The guys will move out of the way if_ you _tell them to."

Tank, Bobby, and Hal, graciously said 'ladies first' and let me cut in line after Ranger gave them a look. I filled my plate with french toast, a mini cinnamon roll, and a bacon and cheese sandwich made with the fluffiest looking biscuit I'd ever seen. Ranger chose a cup of plain yogurt and some sliced fruit instead of taking anything appetizing, and we each grabbed a cup of coffee before sitting down at one of the little tables to eat. Tank and Bobby joined us.

"You're not really going to eat all of that are you?" Ranger asked me.

"Uh-huh," I said."Not only do I plan on eating all of this, I plan on sending out a search party for any leftover crumbs."

Bobby laughed and Tank smiled. Of course, their plates were loaded even higher than mine, so they understood what I was saying.

"There's going to be extra gym time for anyone who eats this stuff," Ranger said, not worried at all about the extra time since he just had fruit and yogurt.

"Don't care," I said to him between bites of cream-cheese filled heaven."This is worth it."

And from the way Tank and Bobby were putting it away, I knew I'd have plenty of company in the gym.

When my plate was clean, and my coffee cup was empty, I pushed back from the table."Okay," I said to the table."I'm ready to start accomplishing things now."

"What's on the agenda?" Tank asked.

I looked at Ranger."You didn't tell them?" I asked.

"No," Ranger said."I thought you'd want the honor."

Bobby looked back and forth between Ranger and I."What's going on?"

"Ella and I are planning a dinner here for the men who have to work here tonight." I almost burst out laughing at the expression on their faces."Don't look so scared, guys," I told them."Ella is handling the food. I'm not touching anything but table decorations and serving spoons."

"If I'd known we were getting more than just breakfast," Bobby said,"I'd have saved some room. I thought Ella was just sneaking things in here before Ranger came down."

"Dinner is planned for six, so I think you'll have plenty of room by then," I said to Bobby."I have to go to my parents' house, but I plan on being back here by five to help out."

Tank looked to Ranger."And you're okay with this?" He asked.

"Yes," Ranger said."Stephanie wanted to do something nice for everyone here, so I can't in good conscience say no."

"You could have said no, Ranger," I said to him, knowing he said yes just because I was the one who asked.

"Not if it was something important to you, I couldn't," he said to me."And the men are on call twenty-four-seven. They deserve to have someone put them first for once."

I kissed him quickly on the mouth before standing."This is why I love you," I told him.

"Because he's sappy?" Tank asked.

I narrowed my eyes in warning at Tank."No," I said to Tank,"because he's the type of man who cares about the people around him. Even the annoying ones." I turned back to Ranger."I'm going to stop in and say thanks to Ella for breakfast, and then I'm heading to the conference room to start setting up."

"Is this dinner what all the bags were about?" Bobby asked me.

As soon as I pulled into the Rangeman garage, and the camera showed that I had more than one bag to carry in, Vince suddenly appeared from the direction of the stairwell ready to take them from me. I wish I had a say in which type of exercise I get to avoid, because I would gladly haul fifty bags up to the fifth floor if it meant I didn't have to run at all on the treadmill.

"Yes," I told Bobby."I guess you guys didn't peek."

"No," Tank said."All Ranger said was that the room was off limits until he said otherwise."

"Well, now the secret is out," I said to them."You can let the other guys know about it, okay?"

"Sure thing," Bobby said."And thanks for thinking of us. Sometimes it seems like no one besides Ranger and Ella do."

I hugged Bobby and Tank."I'm always thinking of you guys and what you all have done for me. Have done for _everyone_. And I'm going to make sure to show it more often from now on."

Bobby cut his eyes to Ranger again."You couldn't have picked a better woman to be with," he said to Ranger.

"I agree," Ranger said, holding my eyes for a moment.

"Thanks guys," I said to them."Now I have to get a move on if I want to get anything done before I have to leave."

"I'll walk out with you," Ranger said, his hand resting low on my waist.

He kissed me at the elevator and waited until the doors closed between us before heading to his office.

After saying thanks to Ella, and being assured that she had everything under control, I took the elevator back down to five and spent the next two hours emptying the shopping bags and trying to arrange the contents of them into some semblance of order on the huge table that took up half the room. I knew the guys probably wouldn't even notice the tablecloths and napkins, nevermind the candles and little pumpkin things, but I didn't want to skimp on anything. I wanted to give the impression of being at a family dinner table instead of sitting down at a conference table in the building where they worked every day.

By the time I was finished, the table and place settings looked good if I did say so myself. I knew dinner was going to be more buffet than fine dining since the men would be coming and going at different times depending on when their shift started, or when they'd be able to take a break, but I wanted there to be a place for them to sit down and relax when they had a chance.

I'd done the table in cream and gold tones to dress up Rangeman's usual dishes. I'd made a centerpiece out of soft yellow candles, autumn colored flowers, tiny pumpkins and gourds mixed between them, with grapevine (something I didn't know the name of until I saw it at the store) twined around everything. The huge tablecloths I bought were a subtle gold with a smaller ivory one over it. The plates I stacked in between the ones Ella had here were brushed gold and cream. And on the top of each setting was a cloth napkin with a ribbon securing a golden leaf. I had also put out both water and wine glasses. We weren't serving anything alcoholic, even for the men who weren't working, but I found a recipe for a drink I was going to mix that I could fill the glasses with. It was the only recipe I was comfortable doing. And I bet Ranger wouldn't call it cooking, either.

It didn't come close to Martha Stewart's standards, but it reminded me of Thanksgivings at my parents' house, so I was proud of the results. The conference room door opened and Ranger stepped in. I looked at the time and realized that I only had an hour to get ready. I wasn't aware of anything outside the conference room for the last few hours, so it was a good thing Ranger came to check on my progress.

"It looks good, Babe," Ranger said, leaning down to kiss me.

"You don't think it's too much?"

"No," he said."The men will appreciate all the trouble you've gone through for them."

I rolled my eyes at him."Ella's the one who is cooking everything," I told him."I just wanted to contribute _something_ to this. Decorations may seem silly to them, but to me they're what make the holidays special."

"You've contributed a lot," Ranger said to me."And now you don't have much time to change before we have to leave."

"I know. I'm going up now," I said to him."I didn't notice the time until you came in. I had tunnel vision for the last couple of hours."

Ranger closed the door behind us as we left the conference room and took the elevator to seven. I left Ranger in the bedroom and took my clothes into the bathroom with me to change. All Ranger had to change was two things. _I_ had to change everything from the skin out, along with fixing my hair and touching up my makeup. I put my hair up with a few loose curls to frame my face, added another coat of mascara and a brighter lipstick. I figured since it was a holiday, Ranger would forgive me for not wearing all black and choosing instead a cranberry-colored red top. It was fitted, with small cap sleeves, and had a cross-front detail that did wonders for the curves I had. While I thought Ranger would be okay with it, my mother was probably going to say that I'd catch a cold wearing a shirt like this in November. But it made me look and feel good, so I was determined to ignore any comments made about it. I'd found a black pencil skirt that hit right above my knee, and some Jimmy Choo knock-off pumps to wear with it.

I stepped back into the bedroom and Ranger was already changed into black dress pants and a black cashmere sweater with the sleeves pushed up. His forearms looking threatening even surrounded by the soft material.

"Do you ever not look good?" I asked him.

"As long as I look good to you, Babe," Ranger said,"that's all I care about."

"Well, you can sleep easy, because there hasn't been a day that I've known you that you haven't looked delicious." It was true, too. He'd been shot three different times while I was with him and he still managed to look better than a man who'd been shot should look.

"You're looking delicious yourself, Babe," Ranger said, walking over to me."Maybe I can skip the food and have you instead."

And another pair of underwear bites the dust, I thought.

"No can do," I said."My mother will have a cow if we don't show up."

"And that will be bad?"

"Yes. It would be for me next time I saw her," I told him."Asking you to dinner is her way of trying to accept you into our family."

"I know, Babe," Ranger said."That's why I wouldn't miss this. I know your mother has been hard on you, and there is no way I would add to it. So if you're ready to go ..."

"Have I told you how much you mean to me?" I asked.

"You have, Steph," Ranger said, softly."But I'm never going to get tired of hearing it."

I kissed him and laced my fingers through his."We'd better go before I agree with you about the having me instead of food thing."

Ranger helped me into my jacket and slid on his own. I picked up my shoulder bag and the bottle of wine I'd picked up to bring with us. My mother wouldn't appreciate anything else, except maybe a bottle of schnapps or whiskey. My parents' house was a_ zoo _on holidays. Grandma Mazur was hard to keep an eye on during regular dinners, but once Albert and the girls showed up mayhem was inevitable.

Ranger hit the elevator button for the garage and I took a moment to savor the quiet. I knew it wasn't going to last long and I wanted to soak up as much of it as I could.

"Everything okay, Babe?" Ranger asked, smoothing his hand up and down my back.

"Yep," I told him."Just preparing myself for the day ahead."

"It's dinner, Steph," he said, pulling me closer, offering me some of his strength."Everything will be fine. But if you feel like you need to leave, I can come up with a work emergency to get us out fast."

"You know just what to say to a woman, don't you?"

"I have my cell phone and pager on me," Ranger said."Just give me the word and we're out of there."

I tipped my head back and smiled at him."Thanks. I'm all right now. Sometimes just knowing that I have an escape route is all I need to get through dinner with my family."

"Your family isn't that bad, Babe. They are a little loud. And they have bad eating habits. But, overall, there are worse people in the world."

"I know," I said to him."And I love them. But I love them even more in small doses."

The doors opened and Ranger walked me to the passenger side of the Turbo. The rain had cleared while I was busy, and the sun was now trying to peek through the clouds. The trees were bare, and you could almost smell snow in the air. I'm actually surprised that we haven't seen a few inches already. The past week had been cold enough for it. At least when Rex and I stayed over at Rangeman I didn't have to worry about shoveling the foot of snow left over from the plows away from my car in the morning. Underground garages were creepy, but there were perks to parking in them.

Ranger slid behind the wheel after I was settled and drove to my parents' house, parking at the curb in front of it. Valerie and her family were already here and my mother was at the door waiting for us. Her Burg instincts still working even after all the years I've lived away from her. Ranger and I got out of the car, and Ranger walked with his arm around me up the little sidewalk to the house.

"Ranger, I'm glad that you could make it," my mother said."I know you're busy this time of the year."

''Like I was just telling Stephanie, Mrs. Plum," Ranger said,"I wouldn't have missed this."

I watched a smile form on my mother's face. I kept forgetting that Ranger had the ability to make grown women act like love-struck teenagers. Now that we were a couple, he only used that ability on my mother or on me when I wasn't getting naked fast enough to suit him. Stop thinking dirty thoughts, I told myself. You can't have dirty thoughts when your mother and father were only feet away from you. This wasn't normally a problem for me. Usually my thoughts ran more to what we were having for dessert, but Ranger superseded whatever my mother had baked.

I handed the bottle of wine to my mother and shrugged out of my coat. Ranger handed me his and I left him to put them in the other room, not wasting any time getting back. I didn't want to leave Ranger unattended with Grandma and Valerie in the vicinity. Kloughn could possibly talk him to death, but Valerie would drown him in drool and Grandma might commit a crime or, at the very least, a misdemeanor if left alone with Ranger. Though I doubt Ranger would press charges if it came to that.

When I got back into the room, Grandma was already making a beeline for him. To Ranger's credit, he didn't look scared. In the past, Joe had begged me to stay between him and Grandma at all times. And she wasn't even as hot for him as she was for Ranger.

"Hi, Grandma," I said.

"Stephanie, boy am I happy to see you and Ranger," she said."Everyone was askin' me if he was coming with you today."

"Why wouldn't he?" I asked.

"That's what I told them old biddies," Grandma Mazur said, never once considering herself to be one of the biddies herself."He's the man in your life, so of course he'd be here."

"We have to leave earlier than usual, but I didn't want to miss Thanksgiving with you guys."

My mother came back from checking on something in the kitchen."What do you mean you have to leave early?" She asked."You never leave early. I just spent two days cooking and you're not going to stay long enough to enjoy it? And what on earth are you wearing? Don't you have something with sleeves? It's November for goodness sakes. I swear, you're going to catch your death one of these days."

I looked at Ranger so my mother wouldn't see me roll my eyes."I'm fine," I said to her."I wore a coat, remember? And I only meant that we can't stay the entire night."

"Stephanie has a dinner planned for the men that work for me who can't be home tonight," Ranger told her.

"You can't cook," my mother pointed out.

Jeez. I thought I'd be forever known for burning down the funeral home. Now I'm starting to think not being able to cook was going to be my legacy.

"Ella is doing the cooking," I told her."I'm in charge of everything non-edible."

"Ella, she's your housekeeper?" My mother asked Ranger.

"I think of her as more," Ranger told her."But yes, she's my housekeeper."

"Why didn't you ask me?"

"I knew you'd be busy here," I said."And Ella and I only decided to do this two days ago. Ella was going to be in town this year, so we thought having dinner at Rangeman would be fun."

"Still," my mother said,"I could have made something."

"No need," I told her."We've got everything covered."

"If you decide to do this next year let me know, and I'll help."

"Really?" I asked, surprised.

"Yes," she said."These are the men that help keep my daughter safe. A pie is a small price to pay for that."

"Wow, Mom," I said to her."Thank you."

"I'll help out, too," Grandma said."I can wield a spatula like no one's business."

I didn't know if I wanted Grandma Mazur to have free reign over the Rangeman building or the Rangemen. She was the only one who could top Lula in embarrassing the crap out of me.

"I'll let you know," I told them, walking into the living room. At least I have a year to plan on how to keep this from turning into a disaster.

My dad was in his chair in front of the television. He probably had one ear tuned to the game and one tuned to our conversation.

"We're not having Thanksgiving dinner somewhere else," he said, proving that he only heard half of what we'd said.

"Don't worry, Dad," I told him."We'd be eating closer to six, so_ your _turkey dinner's safe."

He grunted and turned back to the TV.

"Welcome to the Plum family," I whispered to Ranger.

"So far I've survived unscathed," he whispered back.

"There's still a whole dinner to get through."

Ranger rubbed the back of my neck exactly where the Batman Tingle usually started. Just like some people have blueprints to their buildings, I swear Ranger has a mental map of my body imprinted on his brain, with all the sensitive areas lit up in neon. That wasn't a bad thing, but it'd be nice if I could have the same insight into him.

Kloughn and Valerie came over to where we were sitting.

"Albert," I said,"you remember Ranger?"

"Yes, of course," he said."Yeah, I remember you. How could I forget someone with that kind of name."

"Albert, it's a nickname," I told him.

"Sure, I knew that. I wonder why I never had a cool nickname like that."

I didn't have to wonder. And I think it was pretty obvious to everyone in the room why Albert Kloughn was never called anything but Kloughn.

"So _Ranger_," Albert stuttered, sounding like the unpopular kid talking to the quarterback in high school,"should I call you Ranger? Or Mr. Manoso? It is Manoso, right?"

"Ranger is fine," he said to Albert.

"I'll say," Valerie said, barely loud enough to be heard.

I gave her a look.

"What?" She said."He is."

I rolled my eyes, but didn't say anything else. I figured I should cut her some slack since she was married to Kloughn. She may have been more popular than me in school, had better grades, and was the perfect daughter in my mother's eyes, but when it came to men ... I blew her out of the water. Probably because predictable and boring never made it onto my list of qualities I wanted in a man. Maybe that's why my marriage to Dickie didn't last. He was predictable _and _boring. That and Dickie had sex with anything breathing within five feet of him.

"What's up, Babe?" Ranger asked."You just got all tense."

"Just a blast from the past," I told him, pushing Dickhead Orr from my mind.

"The past is the past for a reason, Steph," Ranger said to me.

"Yeah, it is. I'm only interested in the present and future now."

"Glad to hear it."

Grandma and my mother had been in and out of the kitchen since we'd arrived. They had covered the dining room table with the tablecloth that came out only twice a year, along with the good dishes and silverware. Even though we ate here all the time, today was a holiday and we were treated like company. So we were offered drinks instead of me raiding the refrigerator. And my mother had set out an anti-pasto platter, and dip next to a tray of crudites that no one ever ate and that were destined to become part of the soup my mother made from leftover turkey.

Grandma looked over at us."I always knew you were made for each other," she said to us."Only you two were dumb enough not to see it."

Leave it to Grandma to say something nice and follow it up with an insult to your intelligence. One thing she and my mother had in common. Probably the _only_ thing.

"I think Albert and I were made for each other, too," Valerie said.

"Uh-huh, that's right," Albert said."I wouldn't want anybody but my lovey-kins here."

Okay, that was a little disgusting, but also true. I couldn't see either one of them with someone else. Albert needed Valerie to remind him that his head was still attached to his shoulders every morning. And Valerie needs someone to love her for who she is, instead of trying to turn her into what they wanted her to be. And to think, my crazy life brought them together. And now Angie and Mary Alice had a baby sister to boss around because of it.

"Of course, when I met Stephanie, I might have wanted to start something with her, but she was seeing that Joe Morelli. And Ranger was ..."

"Albert," I said,"shut up."

"Shutting up, now," Albert said."Thank you."

Valerie shot him a death glare, but the girls and my mother came into the room in time to keep Valerie from smacking him.

"For once my mother's timing is good," I said to Ranger.

He looked like he was thinking about smiling. Probably that almost smile was caused by Albert thinking I would have considered dating him. Ranger still couldn't see why I was with Morelli for so long, and Joe Morelli was considered to be_ the _prime catch in the Burg. So the thought of Albert with me was beyond amusing to him.

I leaned close to Ranger."You don't have anything to worry about," I said against his ear."I'm not going to leave you for Albert. Valerie would never forgive me."

Ranger turned his head towards me and gave me one of those looks that said he was having inappropriate thoughts about me.

"I'm not worried, Babe," Ranger whispered back."I doubt Albert would survive you."

Damn. Now _I _was having inappropriate thoughts about _him_. Or more accurately, about _us_.

"Behave yourself," I told him."My father is sitting right over there and might hear you."

"I didn't say anything suggestive out loud," Ranger said."And I'm sure your father can't read my mind, otherwise he wouldn't have let me in the house."

I smiled at him."Planning on leaving with the silver?" I asked.

"No. I plan on leaving with _you_," he said."And I doubt that your father would let me if he knew what I want to do with you tonight."

Flushed cheeks - check. Excess amounts of drool - check. Damp underwear - check. Ranger's face showed none of what mine most likely did. It wasn't fair. Sometimes being with someone who could control every part of their body at all times was irritating. But, then again, thinking back to last night, I had to admit that it did have it's advantages, too. Like making sure I was satisfied before even thinking about his own pleasure. _Three_ times. But maybe seeing what he does to me _was_ a source of pleasure to Ranger.

"Now who should stop thinking?" Ranger asked, noting my pink cheeks.

"You started it," I told him.

"Very mature, Babe."

"I try."

"Dinner's ready," my mother announced."Stephanie, Valerie, girls, you can help me bring the food to the table."

"Typical," I said to Ranger."The girls have to do the work while the men sit around watching television."

"Babe."

"You're excluded," I told him,"since I'm forcing you to sit here. But those two," I said, pointing across the room to Albert and my father,"could pull their own weight."

"I doubt your mother would appreciate them invading her territory."

"You have a point," I said to him, on my way to the kitchen. My mother wasn't real big on people messing up her kitchen.

By the time the last dish was placed on the table, my dad's butt was firmly planted in his chair at the head of the table. Ranger was seated to his left and I quickly took the seat next to Ranger before Grandma and Valerie could beat me to it. Grandma settled for sitting across from him with Albert next to her. And Lisa and Valerie sat between me and my mother. The girls were seated next to Albert.

When Valerie and I were little, and had extended family coming over to our house for Thanksgiving, we were exiled to the _'kid's table_.' I used to think that the kid's table was set up so parents could enjoy their meal in peace. But as I grew up, I realized that the kid's table turned out to be more fun. You didn't have to listen to adults talk about what their neighbors planted in their yards. Or whose kids came down with what during the school year. And you also didn't have to listen to your mother constantly telling you to eat more vegetables instead of loading up on just potatoes and stuffing.

My parents' table was big enough to allow the girls to eat with us. I felt kind of sorry for them. But as I looked out over the food my mother and Grandma had spent days preparing, I thought maybe the kid's table was overrated. Being closer to the food wasn't a bad place to be. There was a dinosaur-sized turkey, roasted to golden brown perfection, whipped potatoes loaded with real butter and cream, bread stuffing as well as sausage stuffing made with apples and golden raisins, two basketfuls of flaky dinner rolls, homemade cranberry sauce, along with the canned stuff my dad liked. Lucky for Ranger my mother couldn't figure out a way to add more calories to the turkey except for deep-frying it, something she swore she'd never do. And she always included a vegetable dish just so my father had something to avoid. Truth is, we all avoided it. This year she had added a salad and roasted root vegetables to the menu that already included a from scratch version of the green bean casserole that no one ever touched. It seemed strange to me that my mother and Ella had probably spent the same amount of time in the kitchen, and my mother was only cooking for our small family while Ella was cooking for a building full of overgrown men for an extended period of time.

I couldn't help but notice the big smile on my mother's face when Ranger helped himself to all the vegetable dishes. He included enough potatoes and stuffing to his plate to please her, but not enough to compete with everyone else's plates. Then again, no one else at the table looked like Ranger. Obviously eating mostly twigs and berries was working for him.

"Are you Aunt Stephanie's new boyfriend," Mary Alice asked Ranger during a lull in the conversation."Because Joe Morelli used to come to dinners all the time, and now he doesn't come over at all."

"That's because they broke up, doofus," Angie said to Mary Alice.

"So," Mary Alice said,"are_ you _going to be coming to dinners from now on?"

I could feel a headache coming on. Where was that kid table when you needed it?

"Mary Alice," Valerie said,"hush."

Ranger ignored Valerie and spoke directly to Mary Alice."Yes," he said."To both of your questions."

My smile probably rivaled my mother's just from hearing Ranger say that he planned on coming over here more with me. Go Mary Alice! I mentally cheered. I didn't want anymore questions about where our relationship was going, though, so I tried changing the subject.

"What did you say Mrs. DeMari's son was arrested for?" I asked my mom.

I wasn't terrified of discussing my feelings anymore, but I was a long way from being comfortable talking about them at the dinner table.

I breathed a sigh of relief when Grandma started talking about how Stanley DeMari was caught breaking into his ex-girlfriend's house.

I guess it says something about my personality that I'd rather face an armed psycho than discuss my relationship. I could do it now with Ranger because I feel so strongly about what Ranger and I have together, but it still wasn't what I'd call_ easy_.

Dinner was finished twenty minutes after the turkey hit the table, and we moved into my favorite part of the meal ... dessert! And my mother always made more than one on holidays. This time the choice was between pumpkin pie, apple pie, and a chocolate torte. And it being a holiday, my mother didn't feel compelled to talk about my hips in direct relation to the dessert, so I got to have more than one. Since Ranger likes my hips, I felt obligated to keep them and had a piece of apple pie; after all you're supposed to have a serving of fruit everyday, along with a piece of the chocolate torte. I didn't bother with the pumpkin pie. Pumpkin was too close to a vegetable in my opinion, no matter how much whipped cream you covered it with.

After the dessert plates were licked clean, I helped my mother clear the table while Valerie settled the kids and Albert in the living room. It always surprised me how a week of planning and forty-eight hours of cooking could be reduced to crumpled napkins and empty plates in less than a half and hour.

Ranger disappeared with my father while I was in the kitchen drying dishes.

"Where'd they go?" I asked Valerie when she came in, since she was in the living room when they left.

"Dad was talking about cars again," she told me,"and Ranger was tolerating it, so maybe he took him to the garage to see how Ranger's Porsche stacked up against Big Blue."

I knew which one would win if I had a say in it. The Cayenne was reasonably-sized, better on gas, and didn't look like a car shaped cookie jar. Something cute that you would never consider driving.

They came back in after the dishes had been put away. Grandma, Mom, Valerie and I were sitting at the little kitchen table drinking coffee. The room smelled like a combination of turkey, cinnamon, and coffee. And the kitchen windows were all steamed up from all the indoor activity.

I waited until my father was back in front of the television before turning to Ranger.

"Did my father talk your ear off out there?" I asked him, smiling. The only man I know who spoke less than Ranger was my father. I couldn't imagine the two of them actually having a conversation.

"No," Ranger said.

"That's it?" I said."You're not going to tell me what you guys were discussing?"

"Babe, I know how you hate hearing the merits of a car like Big Blue, so I'll spare you."

I narrowed my eyes at him."You're not telling me something."

Ranger leaned down and pressed a kiss to my lips."It's nothing to worry about, Steph," Ranger said."Your father just wanted to make sure that I was with you for the right reasons."

"And you told him your reasons were ... what?" I asked him, getting up from my chair. For some reason I needed to hear his answer standing.

"That I was with you because I love you," Ranger said."And that I came here today, because I didn't want to spend the day without you."

"Hot damn!" Grandma said."Wait until the girls at the beauty parlor hear about this."

For once I tuned everybody out and wrapped my arms around Ranger's waist, tucking my face into the curve where his shoulder and neck met. His arms held me to him and he rested his chin against the top of my head. We stood like that for a long moment, just enjoying the feel of each other, until I heard Valerie's voice.

"They look good together," she said to my mother.

"We'll see," my mother said.

Looks like she may be more open to me being with Ranger, but she still wasn't convinced that we were committed to each other until she saw two rings on my finger.

I lifted my head away from Ranger and looked over at her."_You_ don't have to see," I told her."_We_ already know."

"That we do, Babe," Ranger said.

"We'd better get going," I said, looking past Ranger at the clock in the kitchen.

"So soon?" My mother asked.

"Yeah, I want to help Ella out if I can."

"You'll be back for dinner soon?" she asked."Both of you?"

It was a good thing Ranger's arms were still around me otherwise I may have fallen down from the shock. Did she just give us her blessing? I looked up at Ranger and saw that his lips were tipped up in the almost smile. Guess he thought the same thing.

"We'll be here, Mrs. Plum," he said."Whenever we're invited."

"Please, you can call me Helen," my mother said to him."And consider dinner an open invitation."

Score one for Ranger. He accomplished a holiday miracle. He got my mother's approval without having to pop the question. I got our coats and after slipping them on, Ranger gave my Grandma Mazur the thrill of her life by giving her a goodbye kiss on the cheek. Her eyes rolled back in her head and I was afraid the excitement from it may have caused a stroke or something. But, as always, my grandmother recovered with nothing more than cheeks as pink as mine were earlier. I definitely didn't want to know what was running through her mind at that moment.

My mother and Valerie each got a hug from him, and Albert and my father both got handshakes. It looked to me like Albert was hoping for a hug, too, so some of Ranger's coolness, hotness, or whatever you wanted to call what Ranger had, would rub off on him in the process.

"Take care of my little girl," my father told Ranger.

"He doesn't have to take care of me, Dad," I said to him."You keep forgetting that I'm not a little girl anymore."

"You're always going to be my little girl," he said to me.

"And I'll always take care of her," Ranger said to my father.

And my stupid eyes threatened to start leaking. I kissed my dad on the cheek and clutched Ranger's arm in mine. We waved goodbye to the girls who were sitting quietly on the couch for once, and got the heck out of there before I made an idiot out of myself. Why do holidays make everyone emotional? Or maybe the question should be why do they make_ me _emotional?

Ranger wrapped his arm around my shoulders as we walked back out to his car.

"You think dinner went okay?" Ranger asked me after we were buckled in.

"Beyond okay," I told him."Thank you."

"I didn't do anything, Babe."

"You've accepted my family the same way you've accepted me."

"Like it or not, Steph," Ranger said,"they are part of you. And they care about you."

"I know," I said."But I also know that they can be a handful."

"Small price to pay, Babe."

I smiled. That's what I needed to hear. Joe always made family dinners sound like something that he needed to be rewarded for attending. I didn't want Ranger to feel the same way. Sure, I found them hard to take sometimes, but I wanted Ranger to like them. And I wanted him to be able to tell me that visits wouldn't be that bad. And to actually mean it when he said it. And he did both today. He didn't even flinch when confronted by my father about his intentions. He just answered whatever my father needed to ask, and didn't make more out of it. Ranger was like a deep breath to me. Sometimes, just Ranger walking into a room was enough to calm me down. And for him to be able to do that for me was amazing, because I was second only to my mother in freaking out about stupid things.

Ranger told me that he usually volunteered to watch monitors, or go out on calls, so his men could have the night off. And then would stop off at his parents' place to have a cup of coffee at the end of the night. So I was even more touched that he came with me today, and that he'd probably stay with me through the Rangeman dinner, too. I knew we'd be able to make a relationship work between us if we both made a few compromises, but to see him change almost his entire lifestyle to include me in as much of it as he could, was more than I could have hoped for. On the drive back to Rangeman, I kept my hand where Ranger had placed it on one muscled thigh. I wasn't stupid enough to give up any contact with him. Ranger was the most addictive drug I'd ever been exposed to. And since I grew up in Trenton, that was saying something.

It was already dark at five o'clock and the outside lights of the houses we passed were shining, casting shadows through the bare branches of the trees around them. The wind whipped the fallen leaves that hadn't been collected against the curb as we drove by. It was one of those nights that should be spent curled up on the couch sipping cocoa in front of a fire. I didn't need the fireplace since I had Ranger, and he supplied plenty of heat, but I could go for the cocoa and the couch if I could be cuddled up next to him on it. A plan for later, I thought.

Ranger parked in the garage and we headed to the fifth floor for round two of Thanksgiving. Ella must have decided to get a jump on things because when we got off the elevator there was another line forming to the little kitchen.

"I thought we said six o'clock," I said to Ranger.

"You did," Ranger said,"but I'd bet that once the men saw Ella they cajoled her into putting out something early."

"They really are like children sometimes, aren't they?"

"You'd be surprised at the similarities, Babe."

We made it into the control room kitchen and saw that Ella had produced an appetizer section. I saw guacamole with vegetable chips, stuffed mushrooms and cherry tomatoes, no doubt filled with fat-free cheeses and whole-grains, spinach and artichoke dip in the middle of a huge platter with various raw vegetables surrounding it, and something green with whole-wheat pita triangles and red pepper strips waiting next to it. There were more vegetable in this one room than my mother's kitchen saw in an entire year. I should have known that Ella would still incorporate Ranger's rules into the meal. Sneaking sugar and white flour into breakfast was one thing, but an entire dinner wasn't going to fly. At least I knew that whatever Ella made was going to be delicious no matter how healthy it turned out to be.

"You can tell me the truth," I whispered to Ranger,"Ella is a fairy godmother isn't she?"

"Sorry, Babe, but no," Ranger said."I just hire capable people to work here."

"I would agree with you, but you hired_ me_."

"Yes, I did. And what does that tell you?"

"That you're a charitable guy?" I said.

"Steph," Ranger said to me,"I would have helped you anyway I could because I love you, but I wouldn't have hired you to work for Rangeman unless I was sure you would be good at your job."

"Well, doing background checks is not exactly rocket science," I told him.

"What you do for Rangeman doesn't fall under a specific a job title," he told me."But since I'm the boss, it doesn't need to. Just know that even if nothing had happened between us, I would have still asked you to work here."

"Thanks," I said, leaning into him."Every woman should be lucky enough to have a Ranger in her life."

"That wasn't what you were saying when we started getting closer, Babe."

"That's because you were frustrating the hell out of me," I said to him."You've since worked all my frustrations out."

"There are some things that I excel at," Ranger said, kissing my curls.

That was an understatement if I'd ever heard one.

"You're blocking the door," Tank said from behind us.

"Sorry," I said."Have you seen Ella?"

"She just went back to six," Tank said."She said to send you up when you got back."

I turned to Ranger."Gotta go. Things to do," I said to him."Will you be hanging around down here with the guys?"

"Yes," he said."I'm here until you're ready to call it a night."

I smiled before kissing him and heading up to Ella and Louis' apartment.

The smell that hit me as Ella opened the door brought back so many memories of playing outside on Thanksgiving day with the other kids in the neighborhood, who were also desperate to escape relatives they only saw once a year, until my mother shouted that dinner was ready. And I remembered this exact smell of roasted turkey, and the faint cinnamon smell of pies that had been baked, that greeted you as soon as you stepped inside. If only someone could capture this scent in a candle.

I smiled as Ella opened the door wider and motioned me inside.

"How was your day?" She asked me.

"Surprisingly good," I told her.

"I bet Ranger had something to do with that."

"Yep, he definitely helped."

She led me to the kitchen and my jaw dropped.

"What did you do?" I asked Ella."Raid three restaurants while I was gone?"

"No," she said to me."Just spent the day doing what I enjoy for the people I care about."

"From the way the guys were wolfing down what you've made so far, I'd say that they can feel the love."

"I hope so," Ella said."I peeked into the conference room while I was down there and you did a beautiful job. It looks like what I grew up with."

"That's what I was hoping for," I told her."It doesn't seem fair that you've done all this and I only set a table."

"We all have our strengths," Ella said to me."Mine is cooking. I consider spending as much time in the kitchen as I can more pleasure than work."

"I wish I could do this," I said to her, looking towards the warming trays ready to hit the table.

"If you ever want to try, just let me know."

"If you can come up with something that won't make me burn down Ranger's building, I might take you up on it."

"I'm sure I can find something for you to try out," Ella said."We'd better get a move on and get this food downstairs."

"Yeah, I have a feeling the men will come up here looking for it if we don't." The food not only smelled good, it was also really pretty.

"I have Louis on standby in case we need help."

"I have a pound of turkey and two desserts to work off," I said to Ella,"so I can take care of everything from here on out so that you and Louis can enjoy the rest of the night. Just tell me where you want everything and I'll do it."

"Don't be silly," Ella said to me."I want to be there until every last man has eaten."

Ella had given me a rundown of the menu while we were loading it, and ourselves, into the elevator. She had made three medium turkeys instead of trying to cook two huge ones, and had them carved already so the guys wouldn't have to wait. I didn't know if Louis had handled the knife or if Ella had, either way I was impressed. I think carving the turkey was second only to cleanup duty as the worst chore on Thanksgiving. The standard mashed potatoes had cauliflower mixed into them. Ella was sneaky like that. My mother could have learned a thing or two from her. I bet Ella would have convinced me to actually like vegetables if I had her tricking me into eating them. I was still open to her adopting me, so maybe there was still hope. Instead of having stuffing like my mother made, Ella had chosen to do a mushroom and wild rice stuffing. In place of the green bean casserole, Ella had made a warm walnut, cranberry, and broccoli salad, roasted asparagus, and a sweet potato and apple gratin. I admit, I had no idea what the heck a _gratin_ was until Ella told me. On top of that, she'd made both pumpkin and minestrone soups. Sweet potato biscuits, along with cornbread, and whole berry cranberry sauce. There was a ton of gravy, and I was betting there was a trick to it that didn't include turkey fat. Everything here was traditional, but was a much healthier version of it. Maybe I should have waited and eaten here instead of at my parents, then my skirt wouldn't feel like it had shrunk two sizes in the last three hours. And Ella didn't leave out dessert. She offered the men their choice of pumpkin pie bars, chocolate cake, or apple crisp with ice cream. The bars had a wheat germ crust, the chocolate cake had pumpkin hidden in it, and the crisp was made with old-fashioned oats and no butter, with frozen Greek yogurt instead of ice cream served with it. Again Ella had to educate me in what the heck she was talking about. They don't go into detail about ingredients when you order from a takeout menu. At least they don't at Pino's.

"What was the green stuff in the bowl with the triangle chips and peppers?"

"Edamame hummus," she told me."Made with soybeans and tahini."

"And it's good?" I asked her.

"Very."

I wasn't convinced.

"I know how you feel," Ella said to me."I didn't know what half of this stuff was when I first started working here. Now I like the challenge of changing a recipe into something that still tastes good, but would also be something Ranger would approve of."

We spent the next fifteen minutes bringing down trays, crocks, chafing dishes, and anything else Ella owned to keep large amounts of food hot until it made it into the guys. I'd left some room on the table to accommodate a few platters and bowls, and had set up some folding tables from the store room to use as a serving station, but I was a little worried that we'd run out of room and food until Ella assured me that we had plenty of both. Between Ranger's calming influence, and Ella's no worry attitude, I felt like I'd taken a Xanax. Normally I would have been pulling my hair out, fussing over everything, but anything I was concerned about, Ella had an answer for.

The food went fast, but I had my work cut out for me getting the men to relax enough to sit their well-formed butts into chairs. I had a feeling they would have eaten standing up like I do at my apartment if given the choice. I didn't give them one. I wanted them to enjoy themselves even if I had to force them to. I felt like I was playing waitress, telling the men where to sit, dropping piles of mashed cauliflower/potatoes onto plates, and filling glasses.

When Ranger came in, I stopped what I was doing and ran my eyes appreciatively over him. He was smart, sexy, and everything I wanted in a man. And I still thanked God for him every night. His eyes found me across the room and I smiled at him. Ranger's lips tipped up at the corners in return.

"Earth to Steph," Lester said.

"Yeah?"

"Are you going to hand over the food or hold it hostage?"

"Sorry," I said to him."I was distracted."

Lester looked back at Ranger, who was now openly smiling at my being caught ogling.

"Uh-huh," Lester said."I can see why. It looks like Ranger's happy and that you're going to be getting some of that happiness yourself as soon as he gets you alone."

I handed the spoon over to Lester and moved on to the tray next to it.

"You have to make everything dirty, don't you?" I asked, not needing an answer.

"Nope," he said."I just like pointing out the obvious when I see it."

"Here you want a biscuit?" He laughed, but took two and moved on.

I dished up more turkey and stuffing, poured water and the drink I had mixed in the kitchen while Ella was putting stuff out, and I made the multiple trips back and forth to Ella's kitchen to refill anything that was empty.

When I came back into the room, I smiled at all the people gathered in it. If only Joe could see me know, I thought, being all domestic. Even though that was his goal for me, he never really believed it could happen. I'd told him repeatedly that I could be good at anything I set my mind to as long as I wanted to do it. Apparently I just never wanted to be domestic with him.

My eyes strayed to where Ranger was talking to some of his men. I mentioned only thinking of the future from now on when we were at my parents' house, and I could see this as mine. The people here have become something far more important to me than just business associates. Every last one of them had something special to offer to whoever was lucky enough to get to know them. The men are now more like overprotective, sometimes annoying, big brothers. Ella was like a second mother to everyone here. And Ranger was the building's role model, and my personal hero. I couldn't see my present without any of them. Aside from my family and Mary Lou, the people in this room were the closest to me. They've seen me at my worst and didn't turn away, not that Ranger would actually let them. They were happy right along with me when I was doing my best. And they encouraged me, and challenged me, day after day to be a better person. And to be better to those around me. That's what this dinner was really about. And I hoped they could see that.

By eight o'clock, the conference room was full of Rangemen. Even the men that weren't on duty showed up once they found out what we had planned.

"I'd say that our first Thanksgiving here at Rangeman was a success," I said to Ella. I'd done an okay job on the table, but the real star of the show was Ella's food.

"I have to agree," Ella said."We just might have started a tradition."

"I hope so," I said."The men here do so much for everyone, it's nice to do something for them for a change."

Ranger came up behind me."You do more for them than you know, Babe."

"Please," I said to him, rolling my eyes."You guys are the ones that are always bailing me out of trouble."

"And why do you think that is?" Ranger asked me.

"You guys are adrenaline junkies?"

"Try again."

"You like me?"

"Yes, but why do you think this whole building full of mismatched and misunderstood men would do anything for you?"

I thought about it, but couldn't come up with a plausible reason.

"They would risk their lives for you, because you've shown that you'd do the same for them. You don't see them as less than they are, Steph. You respect them and their abilities. And you also care about them as individual people. And that's something rare for them. They're used to being stereo-typed because of the way they look, or because of how they're trained to react to things, but you treat them like the men they are, not the image that people see."

"That's how I want to be treated, so that's how I hope I've treated them." I told Ranger."I'd hate to think that people only thought of me as that bumbling bounty hunter I started out as."

"Nobody here thinks of you that way," Ranger said."Just like you don't think of them as brainless muscle."

"Your men are a lot of things, Ranger, brainless isn't one of them." True, I had my doubts about Tank and Hal at first, but I've since learned what they're really like. They may not be the most social of the guys, but their minds worked faster than mine ever could."Speaking of ..."

"Steph, this was a great idea," Tank said."The men are really enjoying themselves."

"I'm glad that they have a chance to relax for once in the building," I said to him.

"I'm definitely relaxed," Lester said, walking up to us.

"You don't count," I told Lester."You're _always_ relaxed. Someone could fire a cannon three inches from your head and you wouldn't even blink."

"Has Ranger been telling you stories?" Lester said."Except you got the cannon part wrong. It was a SR-25."

"I wish you were kidding."

"Me, too."

"Hey, Steph," Bobby said."That was an outstanding meal."

"You can thank _Ella_ for that," I said to him.

"I have," Bobby said to me."But I wanted to thank you for putting this whole thing together."

"I didn't really do anything, but your welcome anyway."

"Any chance that this is going to be a reoccurring thing?"

"We're thinking about it," I told Bobby. I was confident that Ranger would say yes even if I wasn't involved at this point. Seeing the men he trusted to keep the people around him safe was worth more than a day's calorie intake.

"Good," Lester said."It's nice to be able to all hang out together without having weapons in our hands at the same time."

"Jeez, guys," I said to them,"do you do anything that doesn't involve guns?"

"Not in the last decade, Babe," Ranger said.

These men have seen more crap than anyone had the right to. I couldn't erase what they've been through, but I could help them forget about it whenever I had the chance.

"You know, " I said to the guys,"we don't have to limit hanging out to just holidays. We could do pizza at Shorty's once a week, or whenever you guys get a night off. Or have Ranger invest in a freakin' huge flat screen and donate an empty room so we can have movie nights here."

"That sounds like fun," Hal said, hearing the last bit of our conversation."I have a ton of movies in my apartment that I never have time to watch. We could start with those. What do you think? Reservoir Dogs on Saturday?"

I was hoping for something more along the lines of Ghostbusters, but if it made them happy I'd sit through a disgustingly violent guy movie.

"You'd think that after having jobs like yours, you'd want to watch something less bloody."

"Why?" Ranger asked.

The answer seemed obvious to me, but what the heck did I know?

"We don't do chick flicks, Steph," Tank said.

"It doesn't have to be a_ 'chick flick_.' There are hundreds of movies out there that are somewhere between girlie and gross."

"We haven't found any," Bobby said.

"Fine," I said."Reservoir Dogs it is."

"Cool," Lester said."You can save me a seat next to you, Steph."

"You may be working on Saturday, Santos," Ranger said.

"So that's how it's gonna be?" He asked Ranger."A girl enters the picture and you start throwing your weight around?"

I knew Lester was kidding, but I wasn't sure how Ranger would take it. Then what Lester called me sunk in.

"Excuse me?" I said, hands on hips."Did you just call me a _girl_?"

"Don't worry, Babe," Ranger said to me."Santos has been more than aware that you're a _woman_. _Too_ aware, in fact, for his own good. And is there a reason to own a company besides throwing my weight around?"

"Probably not," Lester said."The hours alone would make me question the sanity of it."

The hours _were_ long. I always thought Ranger worked too hard, but I also recognized that Ranger was the type of man who thrived on it.

"Well ... I'd better go check on the other guys," I said."I wouldn't want to be accused of playing favorites."

"You don't have to," Bobby said."We know that we're your favorites. At least_ I _am. I don't know about these two."

"If anyone is Steph's favorite, I'd be me," Lester said."Females love me."

"Yeah," Bobby said,"but she's immune to your so-called charms, so that doesn't help you here."

"If we're talking favorites," Tank said,"I have a leg up on you. She's involved with my best friend. And I know all his secrets."

"You do?" I asked Tank. Knowing them is one thing, giving them up is another. Tank didn't strike me as a secret-spiller. But if there was a chance ...

"Sorry guys," I said to Lester and Bobby."Tank wins."

"Shit man," Bobby said."You don't play fair."

"Don't have to," Tank said.

Hal was keeping out of it. Not quite up to participating in this level of bickering.

I gave them all a quick hug and headed back to the table to see if anything needed to be filled up or cleaned up while I was talking to the guys. Ranger had followed behind me.

"Flat screen, Babe?"

"What? It'd be nice if the guys had a place here to unwind a little before going home," I said to Ranger."And you could probably even write it off as a business expense. I mean, if you have me covered under entertainment, then I'm sure a TV could be listed under that as well."

"You're never going to let me forget that I said that, are you?"

"Not if it helps me get what I want," I told him.

"And you think you don't have a head for business," Ranger said to me.

"I think that's more blackmail than business, Ranger, " I said,"but I'll take it."

When I was sure that every man had been fed, or would be soon, I said my goodnights and took the elevator to the seventh floor with Ranger. As soon as the apartment door was closed, I kicked off my shoes next to it and settled myself on Ranger's couch. Being on your feet in four-inch heels for almost twelve hours could sure take a lot out of a you. Ranger seemed to understand. He sat down on the couch next to me and pulled my legs into his lap, kneading them gently.

"The men all wanted me to thank you for today, Babe," Ranger said."It means a lot to them to know that you care."

"They've said enough thank you's on their own today," I said,"they don't need to add anymore. I didn't really do anything aside from badgering them into eating more than they should. Ella should get all the credit. It took a lot of time and energy to produce that amount of food in one day."

"This was_ your _idea, Steph," Ranger said,"because you felt like showing your appreciation for all that the men here do. Don't downplay it. Did you think it was nothing when Tank got you out of the Pine Barrens when you got caught up in Diesel's crap? Or when Lester and Bobby were helping to scout out campgrounds when Annie Soder disappeared?"

"Of course not, Ranger," I said to him."But that's different."

"You're right, it _is_ different, Babe, because they were doing their_ job_," Ranger said, his voice serious."You did this because you care about each and every one of the men down there. In their eyes, this means a whole hell of a lot more."

"I never thought of it like that," I said.

"Well they do," Ranger said."Every day."

"Looks like I'm going to have to take more time planning next year's dinner."

"Next year?" Ranger asked.

"Yeah," I said to him."Ella and I figured that today went so well, and the men enjoyed themselves so much, that maybe we'd make this a Rangeman tradition, if it's okay with you. I'm even thinking about asking my mother to help out."

"That's a major commitment, Babe."

"I know."

"Am I right in assuming that you plan on being a part of Rangeman's future?"

"Yep," I said.

"And where do you and I fit into this?" Ranger asked me.

"Do you see _me_ as part of _your_ future?"

"Yes."

"Then you have your answer," I told him,"because here with you is exactly where I want to be." And I leaned forward and kissed him.

As Ranger scooped me up off the couch and carried me to his bed, I replayed today over in my mind. The day spent with my family had been good. And the dinner with the guys turned out to be a lot of fun. But it was this life I now share with Ranger that I was most thankful for.


End file.
